Turkey Seeking to Restore Normal Relations with Syria: PM

Foreign Policy has unearthed evidence that suggests Turkish and Syrian government officials are already in contact.

Yildirim has been expressing his intention to end disputes with Turkey’s neighbours since he took over the office in May.

No single group fighting Daesh in Syria should “dictate” the country’s future political scene, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey said Wednesday.

Speaking in a televised address, Yildirim stressed the importance of boosting diplomatic ties in the region and said that Iraq and Syria need to be stabilized in order for counter terrorism efforts to be effective.

Historically, Ankara’s relationship with Damascus has mostly been strained save for a thaw in the run up to Syria’s civil war.

Turkey-Syria diplomatic ties were severed after the Syrian conflict began in 2011 and Turkey has since argued that only Assad’s departure could bring stability. Turkey had also apologized to Russia for shooting down a Russian warplane on the Syrian border in November 2015.

He said that even if ISIL was expelled from Syria, the problems in the country would not be solved as al-Assad would still be in power and another terror organization would come into prominence. The fight was reportedly started after Mehmet Bayraktar, 18, saw four Syrians kicking a stray dog and warned them not to do so.

“Of course Turkey wants to normalise ties with Syria, but there is no change in Turkey’s policy regarding Syria with Assad”, the official added.

Samir Nashar, a member of the Syrian opposition, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Turkey is now shifting its position to correct Ankara’s past policies.

Millions more have been forced to flee their homes inside and outside the country.

The two countries struck a deal to normalise ties last month, with Israel promising US$20 million (Dh74m) for the families of Turkish citizens killed and Turkey dropping claims against Israelover the incident.

Yezid Sayigh, a senior associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, told Asharq Al-Awsat that leaked reports saying Turkey would accept Assad for 6 months “means that Turkey accepts Assad as a president”. “The Turkish position hints that Ankara accepts living with Assad as the President of Syria”.

Instead, Turkey would try to improve relations with its neighbors, he added.